Israel in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
Israeli politics in July 2026 turned on relations with the United States. On July 4 President Trump said Prime Minister Netanyahu had asked for a White House meeting and "knows who the boss is", and on July 8 Defense Secretary Hegseth cancelled a planned Israel visit amid a dispute over a possible US sale of F-35 jets to Turkey. On July 16 Vice President Vance said some in the Israeli government had sought to influence US policy on an Iran deal. On July 27 Netanyahu told his cabinet that Washington wants Israeli troops out of Lebanon, Gaza and Syria and that he would refuse. He met Trump on July 28, their first meeting since the Iran war; Trump had rebuked him in public beforehand, and Netanyahu afterwards called the talks excellent.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on July 18 that he was exploring the arrest of Netanyahu during an expected UN visit in September, citing the International Criminal Court warrant. Trump said on July 20 and 21 that Netanyahu would not be arrested. On July 22 the city said local authorities lack the legal authority to enforce the warrant, yet on July 27 Mamdani again threatened his arrest; Netanyahu said he would come anyway.
At home, Netanyahu announced on July 12 that elections would be held on October 27, and the Knesset voted to dissolve on July 17. On July 5 the government said it would defy a High Court ruling on the appointment of a media regulator, which critics called a constitutional crisis. The Knesset also passed a law suspending detention of ultra-Orthodox men who refuse military service.
Israel approved 13 new West Bank settlements on July 3 and a $2.3 billion deal for 12,000 homes on July 14, while Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands moved to ban goods from settlements. Israel and Lebanon held US-brokered talks in Rome, and Israel agreed to withdraw from two "pilot zones". Syria's president al-Sharaa said on July 26 that his government seeks a security pact with Israel without ceding the Golan Heights.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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